Sands from the Hourglass
by Lico-chan
Summary: AU. From her death, suddenly comes forth another life she was never familiar with, but oddly, belonged to. Gaa/Saku.


**Sands from the Hourglass**

**A/N:** Enjoy. =) This is definitely not a oneshot story.

* * *

**Prologue**

"I'm sorry. I tried my very best—"

"Gaara!" A blonde female pulled the red-head back, locking his arms with hers. Tears were spilling from her eyes which were clouded with pain. The man wiped the blood from his face and stood up impassively, as if Gaara haven't even touched his face.

"I'm really sorry for your loss." He bowed and left.

_No._

_Why?_

_You kept promising…_

_You even looked healthier._

_You were just like him… Yashamaru._

_._

_._

_._

_All of you just hurt me._

Unable to contain his sister's cries and his own thoughts anymore, he pushed her off rather roughly and walked away. Temari threatened to follow him but Kankuro shoved her out of it.

"Give him time."

"I... I thought—" Her mouth agape, tears continued falling, sliding down her face.

"I did too. She really knew how to fake it." He inhaled sharply. He too was crying, his eyes evident of tears that had graced his face as received the news.

"He's hurt… isn't he?"

"More than us, Temari, more than us."

* * *

"Do you know what these are, Gaara?" She smiled sweetly. Fingering a flower gently, she plucked it carefully to show it to the red-head beside her.

"And here I thought you're an advocate of nature." He drawled with a monotone voice, sarcasm dripping evidently from his statement. The girl merely rolled her eyes and tucked the flower childishly on his ear, the head touching his love kanji tattoo. Raising an invisible eyebrow at her, she laughed softly and sat down beside him.

"Ne… I'm really glad you brought me here."

"Hn."

"It's a nice change of view. I'm getting tired of seeing white—"

"Sakura—" He reprimanded silently.

"I know, I know, Gaara-kun. A few more weeks and I'll be off the hospital!" She smiled at him cheerfully then proceeded to gaze at blue sky that showed no sign of clouds anywhere. Gaara stared at her, noticing that, at least, some color had gone back to her skin. But her hair, her precious long, pink hair. All of it was gone, showing the pale flesh that was hidden behind the strands of hair for many years. She didn't cry over it, even if Temari kept bursting to tears during those days she started to shed her luscious locks.

"Oh and thank you for this hat! It's pretty." She gave him another charming smile, to which he nodded, sparing the hat a quick glance. It was a big straw hat with a yellow ribbon on the middle. It was mainly to protect her skin from the glaring heat of the sun. Her already pale skin.

"Ne… Gaara, if I don't get well…" She looked at him carefully, waiting for his reaction.

He inhaled sharply.

"Yes, you will." He had said it as if all the certainty in the world only belonged to him. And that there was no one who could ever challenge the credibility of his words…except himself, perhaps.

"No… just listen to me. Please." She begged, looking at him with pained eyes. He looked directly to her eyes, as if nothing in this world could fascinate him more than them. Those emerald eyes he loved so much.

"I'm not well… you know that. I will not be, for a very long time."

"So?"

"I want you to move on. Forget about me. As early as now. So it won't hurt so much." She wasn't staring at him anymore as she said this. Her voice going smaller as she said those last words. His eyes narrowed with irritation.

"You underestimate me. You really think it's easy as that?" He glared at her haughtily. His fists clenching tightly, his knuckles going as pale as the lady beside him.

"No—please.. Please, Gaara."

"No. " He said firmly.

"I love you. I will be here. I don't care if I have to take care of you all my life," She was now crying, soft sobs that accompanied her trembling fingers that were trying to hold his shirt.

"I will never let you go, even if you will hate me for it. I don't care for pain, as long as I'm with you. You can't push me away, Sakura." The sobs turned to mild hiccups now, her hands desperately clutching his shirt as she cried noisily on the nook of his neck. She held him tighter, savoring the moment that he openly admitted his love for her.

"I-idiot. I could never hate_-sob-_you!" _And I could never leave you. _He kissed the top of her head gently, his hands meeting halfway, circling her waist. She had grown too thin.

Her tears subsiding, she gently pushed his chest and looked at him straight in the eyes lovingly.

"If I can't get rid of you, then we'll just have to get rid of this sickness and get my hair back, ne?" She half-smiled, half-laughed.

"And maybe gain a little weight." He agreed.

* * *

"Thank you for taking care of her." A pink-haired woman bowed in front of Temari. Beside the woman was a proud man with striking emerald eyes. His face was impassive as he stood beside his wife, facing two of the well-known siblings.

"It was our pleasure." Kankuro said truthfully, his eyes falling on the picture of a perfectly healthy Sakura. The Sakura 2 years ago. Her long hair framing her face perfectly, those emerald eyes staring vividly back at him, with an almost mocking smile to the pain all of them were wrapped in. As if she had never died, and that they weren't mourning for her right now.

"I thought he loved her." The proud man commented, his mouth forming a thin line. Gaara had showed no sign of being at her funeral. He had suddenly disappeared after receiving the news.

"That's why he's not here."

Oddly, that made sense.

"Sakura-chan…" All heads turned the blond boy nearing her altar. He was hunched, his steps controlled, and beside him was a man with midnight-blue hair spiked up messily. They stopped in front of her altar, her picture smiling at them. An urn was under it. It was where her ashes remained.

Thud.

Naruto fell down on his knees, letting the tears brimming his eyes fall. He had loved her for almost half of his life.

"_Sakura-chyaaaaaaaaan!"_

_Boink._

"_Owwwww."_

"_Naruto, it's so early and you're already so loud." _

"_Dobe."_

And now Uchiha Sasuke looked at her again, like what he did all the time. He probably loved her longer than Naruto. He was the one who always hid in the corner, staring as she made friends with everyone, talking animatedly with her blonde friends, Ino and Temari. Always looking out for her. Even when they were little, he was already fascinated with her, even without the fact that she had unusual pink hair.

"_Sasuke-kun… I'm sorry. I'm in love with someone else."_

"_Gaara is lucky."_

"_Thank you, Sasuke-kun."_

"Good bye, Sakura." He kneeled and held out a white rose. Gently, he placed the rose under her urn, along with the many variations of flower prior visitors have offered.

"Good bye." He didn't bother stopping the tears anymore.

* * *

_Yes, Gaara. I admit defeat. I love you. I never expected this, of course. And neither did you, I guess. You might be irritated at my cowardice, not being able to say these words to you personally. I would have, trust me, but I couldn't stop stuttering, even when I start practicing in front of the mirror. The mere thought of you shakes my whole being, and I'm not sure if it's a good sign. But I won't lie anymore. You told me that someday, I myself will grow tired of this charade we seem to just let go on. I guess this is the day. I am seeing you in a whole new light._

_I love you. _

_Your Sakura._

Gingerly pocketing the letter that sealed their love, Gaara stood up. He was at the meadows she loved so much. The meadows that brought the most pleasant memories he had with her—their first meeting, their first kiss, their first date. It was such a very, very special place to the both of them. It was where she wanted her ashes to be sprinkled over. Over the green grass the swayed even to the cool night air, and her precious, precious flowers that—

"Sabaku!" He didn't even see the man who called his name, nor confirm that he was the same person who pulled a gun's trigger at him.

Bang.

He felt a sharp pain tug at his chest. And he fell slowly into the darkness, the memory of Sakura, the sudden happiness that he would soon be with her, the guilt of being happy about leaving his sibling too early than expected… all of them were with him as fell almost gently on the grass, a near-peaceful smile on his face, despite the blood starting to pool around him.

He was probably one of those crazy guys who find happiness in dying.

* * *

.

.

.

_I'm alive?_

Her eyes cracked open, a blinding white painfully greeted her. Blinking rather rapidly to get accustomed to the light, she tried to sit but felt a jolting pain on her chest.

"Don't even try." A familiar voice snapped from her right. She froze. She'd recognize that voice anywhere. The voice she had wanted to hear desperately again.

Turning with pain coursing throughout her body, for it seemed that also her ribs were damaged, jade eyes met hers.

"G-Gaara?"

**End of Prologue**

****So there we have it, for the prologue! RnR =)

_If it meant another smile, another escape from grimace, then lies are what's best for now._


End file.
